The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to legislate the elevation of polytechnics into degree-awarding institutions in a bid to end the long-standing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and university degrees.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its president, Comrade Eshiofune Oghayan, the association advocated for the empowerment of polytechnics to confer Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and Bachelor of Science in Technology (B.Sc Tech) degrees, describing it as a long-overdue reform to promote equality and recognition for technical education graduates.
“We urge Mr. President and the National Assembly to empower polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology and Bachelor of Science in Technology degrees. This reform will resolve the lingering dichotomy between HND and BSc holders,” Oghayan said.
The student body also proposed a range of initiatives to improve student welfare nationwide. These include the introduction of a Student Insurance Scheme, mental health awareness campaigns, and enhanced campus security measures.
As part of its national advocacy, NAPS declared June 12 as “Adupe Day” — a Yoruba phrase meaning “thank you” — to honour what it described as President Tinubu’s unprecedented commitment to the education sector. A peaceful “One Million Student March” is scheduled to hold nationwide on that day.
NAPS lauded the Tinubu-led administration for allocating N2.52 trillion to education in the 2025 national budget — a 133% increase from 2023 — and highlighted other significant interventions such as the approval of N683.4 billion for tertiary education projects, over N104 billion disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and the launch of the 3 Million Technical Talent programme aimed at bridging Nigeria’s digital skill gap.
“In contrast to past administrations that sidelined education, President Tinubu has made it the cornerstone of development,” the statement read. “We are your allies, not your accomplices. We will continue to support this administration because it has supported us.”
The student body emphasized that the proposed student march on June 12 will be peaceful and symbolic, with participants drawn from polytechnics, technical colleges, and institutions across the country, aiming to reaffirm their support for education-focused reforms.
